I had to make this a post for the month of April to spread awareness to its commemorative meaning (which there are a few). Autism is still a widely new disability that many people don’t understand because they aren’t presented with the facts.

“What is autism? In a nutshell it’s a child with several developmental delays. But the word ‘delay’ implies that your child will catch up, and that’s something that depends on several factors including severity, how your child responds to interventions, and more. Let’s not forget there are adults with autism, so the definition below is probably more fitting.

Autism (also commonly known as Autism Spectrum Disorder or simply ASD) is a neurological disorder that affects communication, motor skills, social interaction, behavior, and more. Neurological disorders are in relation to the nerves or the nervous system. But autism is also in relation to the brain. Autism can include intellectual challenge or mental retardation but studies have proven that many people with autism are not less intelligent, but rather they are unable to express themselves. The Autism Society of America defines it as a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills.”

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

As well as Sexual Assault Awareness Month:

I also have to mention Sexual Assault Awareness because I feel like this is also a hugely widespread issue that many don’t show much attention to. Many even experience it and don’t consider it a sexual assault because the facts about sexual assault are unknown, or it may be overlooked because in society its just ‘no big deal’ for women to be degraded.

What is considered a sexual assault?

“Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.”

Sexual Assault

“The month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in the United States. The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence”

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

If you have experienced any type of sexual assault, don’t be afraid to speak up!

National Sexual Assault Hotline
To be connected to the rape crisis center nearest to you, dial
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
1-877-739-3895

Lastly, it is also National Poetry Month so in honor, here is one of my favorite short poems written by Emily Dickinson:

There is a solitude of space, 1695

There is a solitude of space
A solitude of sea
A solitude of death, but these
Society shall be
Compared with that profounder site
That polar privacy
A soul admitted to itself—
Finite infinity.

– Emily Dickinson

© Alaina Blay 2013

Photo Info:
Philippines, 2008